Grass-seed scarifier



J. W- STARK GRASS SEED SCARIFIETR Filed Oct. 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lm'elztar Ja fin Star]:

Nov; 29, 1927. 1,651,300

J. w. STARK GRASS SEED SCARIFIER Filed Oct. 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Patented Nov. 29, 1927.

JOHN sunk, xnnsme'rou, MINNESOTA.

' eims s.-snnn SQARIFIER. v

Application filed oetober 12, magsaai mi. 61,962.

This invention relates to. seedv scarifiers and is especially adapted to be used" for. treating small seedras for instance, grass seedand it consists -in the novel featuresthe outer shell or skin of'the seed inorder.

that when the seedis planted or sown:in

the soil the seed may readily absorb "the;

moisture and sprout quickly.

With theab'oveobject inview the scarifier includes a frame having a seed hopper mounted. thereon and a casing v mounted thereon below the hopper. ,The casing is circular in plan and is providedatits top sidewith an opening whichis located below thej outlet of the hopper. burr is journaled for rotation in the casingand consists of; upper and lowerdisks spaced from each means are provided for rotating the shaft. Fan blades are carried at the under surface other and provided at their inner surfaces with teeth or prongs. The upper disk is convexed and the lower disk is fiator plane;

The said burr is mounted upon a shaft and of the lower plane disk and are also housed within the casing. An outletpipe isconnected 'with the peri heral portion; of the casing and is upwar ly and outwardly inclined. The trashqis' adapted to be discharged from the upper outer end of the said pipe and the pipe is provided at its under side and at a point near the casing with an outlet opening through which the scarified seed may pass.- Y

The disks are held in spaced relation by means of posts and these posts are surrounded by collars or sleeves also having outstanding teeth orprongs. a

The arrangement is such that when the seed is permitted to flow from the hopper into the casing and between the disks the seed comes in contact with the teeth or prongs and the outer coatings of the seed y from the trash as hereinbefore described and is in condition for planting as before indicated. c a c i In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is: a side elevational view of the seed scarring machine or apparatus.

Figure 2'is a similar view looking at the same at'a side'at rigl'it angles to that shown 1n Figure 1.

'Figure 3 is an edge elevational view of a a burrused in'the s'carifier; Figure 4 1s anunder plan view of the bur shown in Figure3.

-Figure 5 is a top" planview' of the upper disk used invthe structure of, the burr.

Figure 6 is a the burr.

Figure 7 is a plan view ofjthelower disk used inthe burr structure. I H a Asillustrated in thelaccompanying drawings the seed scarifying apparatus comprises a" frame 1 upon which isinounted a seedhopper 2. a A casing 3;is also mounted upon the framejl and isprovidedxa't its top side and at its center withan opening 4 which,

is located belowthe lower-outlet end of the hopper '22 An upwardly. and outwardly in clined delivery pipe 5 isconnected with the peripheral portion of the casingB and the transverse sectionalview of,

said pipeis provided at;its under side and at a-pointbetweenits ends with a seed outlet spout d .Ajseparator plate or board 7 is located inthe inner portionof the pipe 5 and is approximately horizontally disposed and adapted to separate "the chaff or cuttings from the seed as hereinafter described in order that the cuttings or trash maybe passed out of the pipe 5 at the upper delivery end thereof and the scarified seed. may bepermitted to fall from the pipe 5 through the spout 6. r

A vertically disposed shaft 8 is journaled upon theframe 1 and its upper end portion enters the casing 3 through the center of the lower side thereof. The shaft 8 carries a v beveled pinion 9 the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of a beveled gear wheel 10 mounted upon a shaft 11 which in turn is journaled upon the frame 1. A belt pulley 12 is mounted upon the shaft 11 and a belt 13 is trained around the said pulley and may be trained around'a'pulley' upon a counter shaft or a pulley wheel upon an engine or other power means (not shown).

the casing 3. The burr member consists of spaced upper and lower disks 14 and 15. The disk 14 is convexed and the disk 15 is fiat or plane. The disk 14 is provided at its center with an opening 16 which is located below the opening 4 in the top of the eas- 1n 3. a a

lhe disks 14 and 15 are held in spaced relation by means of posts 17 which are inter osed between the inner surfaces of the dis 's through which bolts '18 pass and which serve as means for holding the disks in position atthe ends of said posts. The posts 17 are surrounded by sleeves 19 which are provided at their outer surfaces with outstanding teeth or prongs 20. The inner surfaces of the disks 14 and 15 are provided with prongs or teeth 21 which are formed by punching the metal. up in amusual manner.

Disk 15 is provided at its lower or under side with a series of fan blades 22 the outer ends of which are disposed toward the periphery of the disk and the inner ends are disposed toward the intermediate portion thereof. a i

In operation the shafts 11 and 8 are rotated whereby the burr of which the disks 14 and 15 are component parts is rotated in the casing 3. At the same time the seed is per mitted to gravitate from the hopper 2 through the registering openings 4 and 16 and the seed enters the space between the disks l4 and 15. As the said disks are rotating the seed will come in contact with the, teeth 21 and 20 and are forced against the said teeth by centrifugal force. Thus the teeth will puncture or scarify the skinof the seed and the seed is passed by centrifugal force beyond the edges of the disks 14 and 15 into the peripheral portion of the casing 3. The seed thusdeposited in the casing are carried around by the fan blades and at the same time the saidblades being in motion,

create a forced draught in the casing which is expelled therefrom throu h the pipe 5 carrying with it the seed and he trash. The

While I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without de )arting fronrthe spirit or sacrificing any 0, invention. M c

Having described the invention What is claimed is 1 a i A seed scarifier comprising a frame, a casing supported in saidframe and havingan inlet opening in its top and an outlet, a burr mounted for rotation in said casing, upper the principles of the and lower disks included in said burr, bolts connecting the disks together, posts about the bolts and spacing the disks with respect to each other. sleeves surrounding the posts;

teeth formed onfthe sleeves and the confronting faces of the disks respectively, the upper disk being convex and being formed with an opening registering with the inlet opening of the casing, means for rotating said burr and fan blades provided on the underside of the lower disk.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature JOHN W. STARK. 

